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Plausible Results (plausible + result)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	40%
Earth and Environmental Science	40%

Selected Abstracts

Factor Structure and Concurrent Validity of the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale in a Group of Alcohol-Dependent Subjects of Mexico City

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2009
Marta Cordero
Background:, Obsessive thoughts and compulsive drinking behaviors have been proposed as key factors associated with the loss of control over alcohol consumption experienced by alcohol-dependent patients. The self-report 14-item Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS; Anton et al., 1995) was designed in order to rate these features. Methods:, A Spanish-translated version of the OCDS was applied to a group of 159 alcohol-dependent subjects while in abstinence, and data were analyzed in order to evaluate the factor structure and concurrent validity of the scale. Results:, Several solutions were explored after applying the principal factor analysis to the data. The most plausible result was obtained after excluding the items on quantity and frequency of drinking. This model explaining 56.9% of the variance included 2 factors: obsessive thoughts related to drinking and interference/behaviors related to drinking. Additionally, OCDS scores were significantly correlated with measures for the Alcohol Dependence Scale, number of DSM-IV criteria met for alcohol dependence as well as the number of days in a week engaged in heavy drinking, indicating concurrent validity. Conclusions:, Our results support the use of OCDS as a valid self-rated instrument that can be broadly applied in research and treatment settings. However, its current version includes questions that may not represent the core concept of craving. The abridged 12-item version of the scale (excluding the items on drinking habits) maintains good psychometrics features and seems to be adequate when different cognitive and behavioral dimensions are explored. [source]

Using DC resistivity tomography to detect and characterize mountain permafrost

GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 4 2003
Christian Hauck
ABSTRACT Direct-current (DC) resistivity tomography has been applied to different mountain permafrost regions. Despite problems with the very high resistivities of the frozen material, plausible results were obtained. Inversions with synthetic data revealed that an appropriate choice of regularization constraints was important, and that a joint analysis of several tomograms computed with different constraints was required to judge the reliability of individual features. The theoretical results were verified with three field experiments conducted in the Swiss and the Italian Alps. At the first site, near Zermatt, Switzerland, the location and the approximate lateral and vertical extent of an ice core within a moraine could be delineated. On the Murtel rock glacier, eastern Swiss Alps, a steeply dipping boundary at its frontal part was observed, and extremely high resistivities of several M, indicated a high ice content. The base of the rock glacier remained unresolved by the DC resistivity measurements, but it could be constrained with transient EM soundings. On another rock glacier near the Stelvio Pass, eastern Italian Alps, DC resistivity tomography allowed delineation of the rock glacier base, and the only moderately high resistivities within the rock glacier body indicated that the ice content must be lower compared with the Murtel rock glacier. [source]

A Simple Model of Soil-Gas Concentrations Sparged into an Unlined Unsaturated Zone

GROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 2 2003
David W. Ostendorf
We derive an analytical model of soil-gas contamination sparged into an imlined unsaturated zone. A nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source lies in the capillary fringe, with an exponential sparge constant within the radius of influence and a constant ambient evaporation rate beyond. Advection, diffusion, and dispersion govern the conservative soil-gas response, expressed as a quasi-steady series solution with radial Bessel and hyperbolic vertical dependence. Simulations suggest that sparged contamination initially spreads beyond the radius of influence down a negative gradient. This gradient eventually reverses, leading to a subsequent influx of ambient contamination. Soil-gas concentrations accordingly reflect slowly varying source conditions as well as slowly varying diffusive transport through the radius of influence. The two time scales are independent: One depends on NAPL, airflow, and capillary fringe characteristics, the other on soil moisture, gaseous diffusivity, and unsaturated zone thickness. The influx of ambient contamination generates an asymptotic soil-gas concentration much less than the initial source concentration. The simple model is applied to a pilot-scale sparging study at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in upstate New York, with physically plausible results. [source]

Measuring the quantitative performance of surgical operating lists: theoretical modelling of ,productive potential' and ,efficiency'

ANAESTHESIA, Issue 5 2009
J. J. Pandit
Summary We previously defined surgical list ,efficiency' as: maximising theatre utilisation, minimising over-running, and minimising cancellations. ,Efficiency' maximises output for input; ,productivity' emphasises total output. We define six criteria that any measure of productivity (better termed ,quantitative performance') needs to satisfy. We then present a theoretical analysis that fulfils these by incorporating: ,speed' of surgery (with reference to average speeds), ,patient contact' (synonymous with minimising gaps between cases), and ,efficiency' (as previously defined). ,Speed' and ,patient contact' together constitute a ,productive potential'. Our formula satisfies the pre-set criteria and yields plausible results in both hypothetical and real data sets, To be productive in these quantitative terms, teams in any specialty need to achieve minimum quality standards defined by their sub-specialty; to plan their lists to utilise the time available with no cancellations or over-runs and to work at least as fast as average with minimal gaps between cases. ,Productive potential' combined with ,efficiency' yielding ,actual productivity' in our theoretical analysis more completely describes quantitative surgical list performance than any other single measure. [source]

Comparison of some sigma schemes for estimation of air pollutant dispersion in moderate and low winds

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 2 2005
Khaled S. M. Essa
Abstract One of the most important parameters in plume dispersion modeling is the plume growth (dispersion coefficients ,). Different models for estimating dispersion parameters are discussed to establish the relative importance of one over the others. Comparisons were made between power law functions, standard, split sigma and split sigma theta methods. We use the double Gaussian expression for calculating concentration in this comparison. The results show that, with low wind speed (<2 m/s), split sigma and split sigma theta methods give much better results than other methods, while, with wind speed greater than 2 m/s, the power law function methods give more plausible results. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society [source]